Friday, 31 January 2014

Acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki let audiences know how he really feels about the anime industry in a recent television interview. According to the recent retiree, anime suffers because industry staff is made up of otaku who "don't spend time watching real people" and are "humans who can't stand looking at other humans."

Miyazaki explained that animating people can only be done by those who spend time observing others, something he feels the industry lacks because its "full of otaku."

Miyazaki is not known for biting his tongue. Other things Miyazaki doesn't like include:

There will be an appearance by the live-action Japanese director Hitoshi Ohne at the University of East Anglia in Norwich on Tuesday February 4. The event will be from 5pm to 6pm in Thomas Payne Study Centre, Room 1.6 (accessible from Chancellor's Drive with lift access). It isfree, but attendees should pre-book by emailingr.denison@uea.ac.uk

Ohne's credits include directing Moteki (pictured), a live-action television adaptation of Mitsurō Kubo's romantic comedy manga. The story centers around the urban legend that even poor, aimless, single men in their late 20s have a shot at mote-ki, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at popularity with women. Mirai Moriyama played Yukiyo Fujimoto — a temp worker who has completely struck out in romance, but who is about to experience mote-kijust before he turns 30.

The director's other credits include a live-action TV version of the Yukemuri Sniper (Steam Sniper) suspense manga, in which an elite hitman tries to escape his bloody past by running a secluded hot-spring inn. Ohne also directed a further live-action manga TV adaptation, Akihabara @ DEEP, and a stage version of Train Man.

Ohne will also be one of the panellists at a discussion in London the previous day (Monday February 3) at the Japan Foundation near Russell Square; it must be pre-booked by emailingevent@jpf.org.uk . One of Ohne's feature films, Love Strikes! is being shown as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme (details). Ohne will do Q&A sessions after the screenings at London's ICA on February 2 (6 p.m.) and February 5 (8.30 p.m.)

Composed by Edmund ButtPerformed by The Chamber Orchestra of LondonConducted & orchestrated by Geoff AlexanderRecorded at Abbey Road Studios "Studio 1" London

“It’s a sea of fag smoke, tweed and sweaty men”

Verity Lambert, first producer of Doctor Who.

This special one-off drama that travels back to 1963 to see how Doctor Who was first brought to the screen. Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles. Wannabe producerVerity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama. Allied with a team of unusual but brilliant people, they went on to create the longest running science fiction series ever made.

Composer Edmund Butt is well known for scores for Sea of Souls, Murphy’s Law, Mistresses, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He is the Winner of the 2011 RTS Award for Best Television Score forGarrow’s Law. In 2012 Ed was nominated for RTS Award for Best Original Title Theme for Without You.

Making ‘Adventure’ was a wonderful experience. The whole team were absolutely dedicated to the project, going the extra mile (or parsec) to create that smoggy early 60s world where so much seemed (and was) suddenly possible. And none more so than Edmund Butt whose gorgeous score is one of the highlights of the film. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by the response to the film. It was a very special project from the outset and I know Ed’s soundtrack will continue to thrill and delight for, well, the rest of space and time...

The booklet for this release is reversible to allow the display of a separate cover featuring alternative promotional material.

Thursday, 30 January 2014

The Moon Animate, Make Up!projectis scouring the internet for animators to reanimate a single episode ofToei's originalSailor Moonanime. Submissions are open and each animator will be given a one to 10 second shot to reanimate in their own style. The episode will be released this spring and will be free to view online.The project will reanimate episode 28 of the first season, "Fractious Friends" and use the English languagedub. If you have animation skills and want to participate, you can e-mail the project atmoonanimatemakeup@gmail.com.The project has released its "episode preview" video so far:

Shots have already been turned in. Here's a look at some of the submitted scenes.

This 382-page issue of the Diary of Doctor Who Role Playing Games (DDWRPG) is a special issue that looks at and reprints the first ever Doctor Who RPG fanzine "Time Meddlers". The issue features all nine original issues of that fanzine, plus an interview with co-founder Steven Dieter. There are also two living dungeon scenarios, DWAiTS sourcebook reviews, many event news reports, and much more.

The next issue will look at the Third Doctor, Sontarans, and the Paternoster Gang. There is still lots of opportunity to contribute. Submissions are welcome.

The Liverpool Connection, David Whitaker's Dalek novel, the return of the Eighth and more

Issue 3 is 40 A5 pages, fully illustrated with colour covers. Details of how to order can be found on theblog along with availability of back issues

Fanfilm: The Imperfect World

The Spanish Doctor Who fanfilm The Imperfect World (original title El Mundo Imperfecto) now has English subtitles and can be viewed worldwide on youtube. It's a 43-minute multi-Doctor story that takes place in present-day Barcelona.

It was made with the support of the Spanish Doctor Who fan society Asociación Planeta Gallifrey to commemorate the 50th anniversary, premièring on 30th November 2013 at Doctor Who Day in Barcelona and at Tea&TARDIS in Madrid.

Their video channel contains several extras, including a short prequel (also with English subtitles) and a trailer.

Writer and director Sergi Páez says: "This is a gift from fans for fans, with all the affection in the world."

The Spanish magazine ScifiWorld dedicated issue 66 to Doctor Who as a tribute for its 50th anniversary. Since that issue was quickly sold out, they're now offering a free PDF download of it on their website.

50 Years of Doctor Who: Preachrs Podcast Live 2

A brand new celebration of 50 Years of TV’s favourite Time Lord, The Doctor comes to Adelaide next month. Benjamin Maio Mackayand Rob Lloyd are Doctor Who’s biggest fans and are kidnapped by the Dalek's creator Davros. Their task is to explain to the Daleks, (whose memories have been wiped) all about the Doctor, his friends and his greatest enemies.

Benjamin Maio Mackay is the host and owner of Preachrs Podcast, a podcast about Dr Who that recently surpassed 25 million hits. Mackay was also a host on the ABC Radio Dr Who Pop Up station created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who. After appearing on radio and TV about Doctor Who numerous times ABC online named him SA’s biggest fan!

Rob Lloyd is a Melbourne based comedian, actor and Whovian, best known for his solo show “Who, Me”. Lloyd joined MacKay as a guest host on the podcast in 2012 and joined him in the 2013 tour of 50 Years of Doctor Who: Preachrs Podcast Live.”

The new show will feature special pre-recorded appearances from: Terry Molloy as Davros, Nicholas Briggs as the Daleks, Simon Fisher-Becker as Dorium Maldovar and Richard Franklin as Mike Yates.

Ths show runs from 14th-16th February at 7.30pm, with matinees at 2pm on 15th and 16th February, at the Box Factory Community Centre, Adelaide.

Morita said that he was at a loss on what to do, after the news of Tsukada's passing reached him. He remembered how Tsukada would always affectionately call him "Ichigo" instead of "Morita" at the recording studio for Bleach. He also remembered Tsukada's always smiling, bright personality, even though he would carry an air of dignity when he assumed the role of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Takahashi remarked that Tsukada was in poor health and highlighted Tsukada's roles of Genryūsai in Bleach and Toto in One Piece. He added that Tsukada's voice was quite marvelous with a gentle dignity.

Update:Voice actorToshio Furukawanoted that he co-starred with Tsukada in many works since he was young. As the voice of Kageroza Inaba, he always sat next to Tsukada during the Bleachrecording sessions. This let them talk often about various topics from which he carries fond memories. Thanks, Daniel Zelter

The financial news source Nikkeireported on Wednesday that Nippon TV Holdings is aiming to acquire the anime studio Tatsunoko Production, a Takara Tomy Group company. Nikkei projects that the acquisition price will be several hundred million yen (several million US dollars). It also reports that Nippon TV Holdings is looking to diversify its production of entertainment content and expand its anime programming.

Tatsunoko became a subsidiary of the Japanese toy conglomerate Takara Tomy in 2005-2006. Anime studioProduction I.Gacquired a 11.2% stake in Tatsunoko in 2010. (IG Port is the parent company of Production I.G,Xebec, Mag Garden, and the relatively newWit Studio.) Entertainment talent agency HoriProacquired a 13.5% stake last February.

Takara Tomy currently still retains a 74.3% stake in Tatsunoko, but Nikkei characterizes the toymaker's ability to create a synergy between its main business and its anime production as "limited." Takara Tomy recorded a net loss of 7.097 billion yen (about US$70 million) in the fiscal year ending on March 31, 2013.

Nippon TV Holdings' group companies already includes the anime studio MADHOUSE. Its NTVtelevision network has long been a partner of Studio Ghibli, and its Mamma Aiuto Inc. and The Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation are involved in the operation of the Ghibli Museum.

The Japan Foundation has tweeted that director Keiichi Hara will hold a Q&A folllowing the screening of his anime feature Colorful at the Bristol Watershed centre on Saturday February 1 at 1 p.m. The screening can be booked here.

Based on the movel by Eto Mori, Colorful is about a person trapped outside the endless circle of life and death. Thanks to winning a lottery in the angel world, the protagonist is brought back to inhabit the body of a 14-year-old boy — who just committed suicide. The film wonthe Best Animation Film Award at 65th Mainichi Film Awards, and took two prizes at Annecy, the world's largest animation film festival.

He's in Australia to host the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra's nights of Doctor Who music.. The Herald Sun has an interview: full version at thelink. Largely the standard sort of thing - he likes Steven Moffat's work on the show, he remembers watching the show as a child - but there's a few fresh comments. Re the music: "When you're watching TV or a movie, you're not fully aware of the music, it just sweeps you along...But to hear it being played by a full orchestra is an extraordinary thing. The music ofDoctor Whois amazing and nothing can compare to hearing it performed live.""I love Murray's music, he writes amazing stuff...His influences are of other classical composers as well as the original series, and I think he's brought those two things together fantastically well. They're a very important part of the program."

Akiba Souken: It seems as if the characters in the film speaks similarily to their portrayals in the anime. Did you give any specific acting directions?

Oikawa: I was told by [Yomi] Hirasaka, “The anime is an interpretation of the original work, so don't trace over the anime exactly, and make an interpretation made for film,” from the very beginning. That way, people who don't know the anime or novels can enjoy the movie. Therefore, I decided not to watch the anime, and made sure not to show the cast the anime either. However, the light novels are thorough, so sometimes the ways characters speak are unavoidably similar to the anime. I think that's the beauty of the original characters.

Hirasaka and Buriki's original Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai light novels revolve around Kodaka Hasegawa (Kōji Seto) — a half-Japanese/half-British transfer student whose delinquent-like blonde hair and fierce eyes scare people. Kodaka and a seemingly perpetually sullen girl named Yozora Mikazuki (Kie Kitano) decide to form Rinjinbu, a club for misfits who want to make friends. The two are eventually joined by five others. Mio Otani plays Sena Kashiwazaki, a beautiful girl who treats her male admirers like slaves but has never had any female friends. Sara Takatsuki (Otomen, GTO, Daily Lives of High School Boys) plays Yukimura Kusunoki, a youth who looks female, but claims to be a boy. Mao Kanjō plays the brilliant and perverted Rika Shiguma. Sayu Kubota plays Kodaka's younger sister Kobato Hasegawa Momoka Yamada plays Maria Takayama, a girl in a nun costume with a love for potato chips and a somewhat impertinent nature Model and actor Louis Kurihara plays the "cold-hearted student council president" Saionji. (This character is one unique to the film — one that does not appear in the the original light novel series.) Saionji is a tyrant who is shutting down lowly clubs such as Rinjinbu.

Moviegoers will be given calendars and bookmarks featuring both the live-action and anime versions ofHaganai's cast of characters.

Takurō Oikawa wrote the screenplay and directed the film, which is slated to open on February 1, 2014. Hirasaka stated previously that the the film will be an original story, so as not to recreate the original school romantic comedy light novels.

The light novel series' eight volumes have 6.22 million copies in print. It already inspiredtwotelevision anime series with video anime spinoffs as well as a manga.

Monday, 27 January 2014

On Monday January 27, Manga Entertainment will release the second volume of the fantasy series Sword Art Online on both Blu-ray (pictured) and DVD. The set carries parts 8 to 14 of the series, and is the second of four volumes. (Volume 3 will follow on February 24.) From the fetch publicity page:

It's been 2 years since the players of Sword Art Onlinehave been trapped in this life-or-death adventure. As Kirito and Asuna get closer, Asuna starts to want distance from the Knights of the Blood, but her wish does not come easy. Kirito challenges Heathcliff to a duel to win Asuna's freedom but is no match for him and Kirito ends up joining the Knights of the Blood himself. The Assault Team launches an attack on the 75th floor boss, but they find the Skull Reaper to be an extremely tough foe! Meanwhile, Kirito begins to feel suspicious of Heathcliff's actions…

Manga is also reissuing the fantasy/mystery series Persona 4 The Animation, about a group of youngsters drawn into a misty world through a TV screen. All three volumes of the series are being re-released on the same day, but in separate Blu-ray and DVD editions (not combi packs like the earlier release of the series.) Each DVD volume will contain two DVDs each; each Blu-ray volume will contain one Blu-ray disc each.

Some of you may have heard that the US release of the hotly anticipated Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo has been delayed. Unfortunately we can now confirm that this has had a knock-on effect for the UK DVD and Blu-ray release and as a result we have been forced to amend the release date. We are very sorry for this but it is beyond our control. The new release date will be Monday 25th August 2014... This date change will be reflected with online retailers listings shortly.

However, in light of this news we are now excited to able to confirm that there will be theatrical screenings of Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo prior to our DVD & Blu-ray release of Evangelion3.33: You Can (Not) Redo across the UK. More details on this will be made available at a later date